FT DR Chapter 41: The Final Move

Chapter 41: The Final Move

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Due to a hangover, Wu Chenghe felt dizzy all day the next day. He almost fell asleep in class and was dragged out by the teacher to stand on the overpass for half a class as punishment. Having lived two lifetimes but never been punished like this before, Wu Chenghe felt extremely unlucky, especially when a kind classmate informed him he could go back after class. He felt utterly embarrassed.

Back in the classroom, lying on the desk, the little caterpillar crawled out to mock him. Wu Chenghe felt miserable and even considered taking the afternoon off. Suddenly, the desktop was tapped.

“Are you crying?” Marlow looked down at him, “Did getting rejected by a girl hit you that hard?”

“What are you talking about? Nothing like that.” Wu Chenghe rubbed his face, “I drank too much yesterday, got a hangover. You kids don’t understand this feeling.”

Marlow raised an eyebrow, “Just a year older than me, yet you call me a kid?”

Kids always dislike being called young, just as those with “second-year syndrome” dislike being told they need treatment. Wu Chenghe sighed, “Okay, my bad. You’re not a kid. What’s up?”

“Nothing, just checking if you were crying, so I could tell my aunt how outrageous she’s being.” Marlow smirked, “Though you didn’t cry, getting drunk like this is almost the same. Don’t worry; I’ll tell her to make her feel guilty.”

“…” Wu Chenghe sighed, holding his head, “Please, please don’t mention me in front of her. Let my name disappear into the wind. I’d be eternally grateful.”

Marlow moved his mouth as if to say something sarcastic again, but seeing his pale face (which was natural) and his distressed expression (because of being punished), he swallowed his words again. After a pause, he said, “Don’t take it to heart. She’s spoiled.”

“Huh?” Wu Chenghe couldn’t handle this sudden turnaround. Which side was this guy on?

“They like teasing people. I’ve been a victim too.” Marlow took the opportunity to ruffle his hair, “Just stay away from them next time.” 

Hmm, his hair felt so nice; no wonder the old man liked doing this.

Wu Chenghe maintained his Spartan demeanor for a full five seconds before realizing that Marlow was trying to comfort him. He was deeply moved, “Thank you! The Simpsons are all saints; I’m not alone!”

“You’re welcome.” Marlow smirked, then left, dropping a cold comment before leaving, “Go wash your face to sober up. If I see you standing on the overpass for another half class, I’ll lose face.”

“…” You little brat, what face do you have to talk?! Wu Chenghe was speechless, continuing to pretend to be dead on the table. The little Light Bulb crawled in front of him to deliver the final blow, “Face, face, face, face…”

After enduring until school was over, Wu Chenghe limped back to the apartment, collapsed on the bed without a word, too hungry to get up even if his front and back hearts disagreed. In the dream, it was all about meat, tables full of KFC family buckets. Hannibal made him eat golden crispy chicken, Jin Xuan made him eat finger-licking good original recipe chicken. He was about to say he could eat them all even if he starved to death, then they started fighting for some reason, smashing all the chicken and making a mess…

Ah, what a shameful waste! Wu Chenghe pounded his chest and stamped his feet, but he was awakened by the ringing of his terminal. He found he had drooled all over the pillow, answered the call groggily, “What’s up?”

“Are you sleeping? What time is it? Have you finished your homework?” Jin Xuan’s hologram appeared at the bedside.

Wu Chenghe checked the time; it was already eight in the evening. He suddenly woke up, “Oh no, I haven’t done my homework… Forget it, it’s only Monday. It’s due on Friday. I’ll sleep a bit more and do it tomorrow. I had a headache from drinking too much last night.”

“Mn, then go back to sleep. If you have too much homework, shall I help you with it?” Jin Xuan tried to please his boyfriend without principles.

“No need, you don’t have joint exams. I’ll do it myself.” Wu Chenghe yawned, went to the bathroom to freshen up, and prepared to go downstairs to get some nutrients. 

Jin Xuan said, “You’re up just in time. Check the campus network for the trending posts today. Don’t comment, don’t guess randomly, just understand what’s going on.”

Wu Chenghe rubbed his head with a towel, “What did you do?”

“You can see for yourself, it’s hard to put into words,” Jin Xuan said. “I have to go to Hobart tonight, so I can’t make supper for you. Just drink some milk.”

“Got it.” Wu Chenghe ended the call, went downstairs to grab a box of nutrients, put it in the food processor, and opened the campus network while sitting at the bar counter to browse through posts.

[Can’t believe there are people who believe in that federal education bill? Wake up, youngsters!] A bright red post floated at the top of the board. Wu Chenghe opened it and found that the original poster analyzed the “the Voyager Army Descendants Special Education Act” in a comprehensive manner, revealing the sinister intentions of the president and Congress—the government feared the power of the Voyager Army and attempted to hold the descendants of senior officers hostage in the capitol Dunkirk to coerce their loyalty to the federation.

Actually, this argument wasn’t new. Some people said the same thing when the bill was first proposed. Wu Chenghe didn’t know why Jin Xuan wanted him to read this post, so he casually flipped through it for a while before giving up. The food processor signaled that the nutrients were ready, so he took them out and had his meal.

After finishing his meal and tidying up, he nibbled on some fruit and did his homework for a while. Two hours later, feeling a mid-study break coming on, Wu Chenghe opened the post again and was surprised to find a dramatic turn of events—the original poster had been exposed as a pseudonym of a senior member of a certain fan club, paid to post. Students were mobilizing various resources to decipher his identity code.

Doxxing was a brutal act, not illegal but generally discouraged. Wu Chenghe sighed at how skewed the moral compass of these kids was, then returned to his homework. By 11:30, feeling drowsy again, he closed the courseware and went to the bathroom to shower. After showering, he lay in bed and opened the post for another read, only to find that it dispelled all drowsiness— the original poster had been identified as a key figure in Marlow’s fan club, and the post was allegedly instructed by Marlow himself.

Based on Wu Chenghe’s understanding of Marlow (even though they only exchanged eye rolls when they met), this guy, despite his aloof and cunning appearance, was actually very kind-hearted and extremely principled. He would never engage in such a boring behavior as paying people to post.

Was someone trying to smear him? Unable to sleep, Wu Chenghe got up and continued to browse the posts. The original poster’s identity had been further confirmed, with his entire family tree exposed. Now the attention of the students had shifted from him to Marlow. Some said Marlow was a coward, afraid to attend university in the capital, so he sent someone to post negative comments about the government’s bill. 

Some said this was a conspiracy by General Lancer , fearing that the local military academy would lose its recruits, so he used his grandson as a pawn. Some even said it was all Hannibal’s idea; he had long harbored disloyalty to the federation and wanted to lead the Voyager Army to independence, so he feared his son would be taken hostage by the president.

Opinions were divided, and Wu Chenghe’s eyes were tired from reading. He was amazed by the imagination of these kids but at the same time keenly felt that the direction of the entire post was being manipulated by an invisible force, heading towards a certain ulterior motive. He gradually understood why Jin Xuan wanted him to read this post.

That night, Wu Chenghe slept intermittently, waking up every now and then to check the posts. As expected, a few hours later, the wind shifted again— a large number of King fans flooded the forum, starting to defend the bill, refuting the original poster’s arguments point by point, and proving that the government had no intention of taking everyone hostage, but rather was aiming to maintain the unity of the federation. Moreover, this bill was supported by King, so opposing it was equivalent to opposing King, the idol of millions of fans!

Come and fight if you dare!

King fans were undoubtedly a combative bunch. The first one appeared, and then they swarmed in like locusts, overwhelming everything in their path. Initially, they only targeted the original poster, but later they directly went after Marlow, threatening that since he didn’t want to return to the capitol, he should never come back, preferably never in his life. They vowed to beat him every time they saw him until he dared not to come back!

As for those who doubted whether they would really take action… Haha, did they forget about the battle at the school opening ceremony? King fans weren’t the type who only dared to talk tough in the world of anime; they would fight in the real world too! If necessary, they could even bring it to a higher dimension; they had plenty of sentinels and quantum beast legions!

There were too many lunatics, and even the idiots were in short supply. Wu Chenghe sighed. Then, in the early hours of the morning, he received an email from Jin Xuan, telling him to go find Marlow tomorrow…

One dramatic turn followed another. Wu Chenghe browsed through posts, checked emails, tossed and turned all night. By the time he got up in the morning, he couldn’t even blink. He drifted to school, bombarded by the hypnotic drone of the math teacher, and fell asleep again, ending up back on the overpass.

Being punished like this was becoming routine. The second time standing there, Wu Chenghe was quite calm. He returned to his seat after class without being called, but of course, he was still feeling frustrated, so he pretended to be dead again.

Marlow threw a paper ball at him, frowning and asking softly, “What were you up to last night?”

“I was burning candles for you last night,” Wu Chenghe turned to look at him, sighed. “Fell asleep when I got back, woke up in the middle of the night to do homework. Jet lag hasn’t worn off yet.”

“Idiot,” Marlow mocked under his breath, looking no different from usual, as if the person who got exposed last night wasn’t him at all. Wu Chenghe was slightly surprised. Remembering Jin Xuan’s instructions in the email, he leaned over and asked him, “Didn’t you see that post last night?”

“What post?” Marlow glanced at him. “On the campus network? Yeah, I saw it.”

“And you’re so calm about it?”

“Why shouldn’t I be calm?” Marlow smirked. “What they said isn’t true. A clear conscience fears no accusation. I have no objections to that bill.”

This kid really was serene and composed. Wu Chenghe rubbed his chin. “Are you really going to the capitol to attend university?”

“Let’s see.” A hint of conflict flashed in Marlow’s eyes. “I can’t decide on this matter. It’s up to the old man.”

“What about you? Do you prefer Aston University or the Second Army Affiliated Strategy Academy?” Wu Chenghe pressed on. If Marlow himself wanted to go to Aston, he felt it was better not to snatch his spot. He could always study hard and try to get in on his own.

Marlow pondered for a moment, clearly undecided. After a pause, he said, “Aston University has a great reputation and strong theoretical knowledge, but the Second Army’s approach is more practical. I prefer their teaching style, so… either is fine, but the bill is likely to be signed soon, and I have to go to the capitol. Thinking about this now is pointless.”

“Oh,” Wu Chenghe nodded, adding another layer of admiration for Marlow. It was quite difficult for a teenager like him, going through the rebellious phase, to comply with his parents’ arrangements and consider the bigger picture.

“What about you? Where are you planning to apply?” Marlow asked.

“I want to apply to Aston University Medical School,” Wu Chenghe said, “But my grades aren’t quite there yet. It’ll depend on how well I do in the final review.”

“You can ask the old man to enroll you in a remote sprint class. It’s said to be very useful. Considering how messed up your brain is, it’s already remarkable that you’ve achieved this much,” Marlow suggested.

“He doesn’t agree,” Wu Chenghe sighed. “He says he has poor connections, and it’s too dangerous for me to go there. He wants me to stay in Gabriel and apply to the medical school here.”

Hearing how concerned his father was about his safety, Marlow’s expression soured a bit. But considering Wu Chenghe’s young age and vulnerability, as well as his experiences with two terrorist attacks in a row, Marlow suppressed his dissatisfaction and said, “Well, you should listen to him.”

“Yeah,” Wu Chenghe nodded. “Dad always has my best interests at heart.”

Marlow tightened his grip on the pen in his right hand, not saying a word, his expression turning cold. He ignored Wu Chenghe. Wu Chenghe had said everything he needed to, so he quietly returned to his seat, feeling frustrated. He had inadvertently hurt a young boy’s innocent admiration for his father. It was truly a pity.

In the following days, Jin Xuan didn’t give any further instructions or come to see him, and Wu Chenghe returned to his normal study routine. He reviewed until late at night every day, and without Jin Xuan’s feeding, his nutrition was a bit lacking, and his face had slimmed down a bit.

On the weekend, Wu Chenghe managed to sleep in for once. He got up to shower just before nine, planning to make breakfast downstairs when the doorbell chimed, signaling a visitor.

It was the first time Lilith had come to see him in the past six months, and she wasn’t wearing her military uniform but a light-colored dress, looking like a gentle housewife. She placed a homemade chestnut cake on the bar counter and smiled, saying, “Marlow told me you’ve been studying hard lately. Since I’m on vacation, I thought I’d come see you.”

Wu Chenghe was pleasantly surprised and quickly invited her to sit down, then made her some fruit juice. “Thank you for your concern. The joint exams are coming up, and my grades aren’t that good, so I’m a bit nervous about studying.”

“You were injured and lost your memory after the incident at Mayflower, and then there was the incident at the Grasshopper Space Station. You missed a lot of classes,” Lilith, rare in her motherly affection, said, “Are you pushing yourself too hard? I didn’t see you this thin last week.”

“Uh, maybe it’s because of the pressure and not eating enough. The admission score for Aston University Medical School is too high,” Wu Chenghe handed her the juice, keeping Jin Xuan’s advice in mind— he had to show that he really wanted to go to Aston University in front of Lilith and Marlow.

“You’re too hard on yourself,” Lilith sighed. “You don’t have to work so hard. In families like ours, the joint exam scores are much lower than those of ordinary families. I’ve seen your transcript with the Commander, and you’ll do fine if you perform as usual.”

“Oh? Are you referring to that bill?” Wu Chenghe’s mind raced as he took the chestnut cake to the kitchen counter to slice it, casually saying, “But I can only be considered an adopted son and might not be eligible for special admission criteria, right?”

“How could that be? Your household documents have been signed by both me and the Commander. Legally speaking, you and Marlow are the same to us, both our sons. Moreover, you’re the eldest, so of course you’re eligible for the benefits specified in the bill,” Lilith said with a smile. “Why, hasn’t the Commander told you about this?”

“No,” Wu Chenghe shook his head, sounding a bit regretful. “He said to stay at Gabriel Military Harbor. You know, I’ve been through a lot in the past six months, and I’m not as strong as Marlow. He’s worried I won’t be able to handle the environment in the capitol, so he thinks it’s better for me to stay with him.”

A flicker of displeasure crossed Lilith’s eyes, but she quickly regained control. She took the tray he handed her and said, “The Commander is looking out for you, but in my opinion, boys need to go through some rough patches to grow. Marlow has been running around on his own since he was young, playing with the team everywhere. I’ve always supported him, hoping he’d grow up to be like his father.”

Wu Chenghe scratched his head sheepishly. “Maybe I look too much like a weakling. He always sees me as a kid.”

“Perhaps,” Lilith said, smiling. “You look so cute, almost like a girl. He’s always wanted a daughter, but unfortunately, I’ve never had time to get pregnant. Your arrival filled the void in his heart.”

Wu Chenghe’s face turned red. Any sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy would be very angry to be called a girl. He knew Lilith was trying to provoke him, so he tried to make himself look like an angry teenager, stammering, “Madam, you, you can’t say that. I’m just, just small for my age, and I’m still growing…”

“Oh, I’m sorry, look at what I said,” Lilith immediately apologized. “I must have hurt your pride with those words, didn’t I? I didn’t mean to. Forgive me, okay?”

“It’s okay, you were a bit harsh,” Wu Chenghe said, looking down. Nevertheless, being called a girl still made him somewhat unhappy. He quietly ate two bites of the cake, which was far inferior to Jin Xuan’s.

“So, do you really want to go to Aston University to study medicine?” Lilith brought the topic back. 

Wu Chenghe didn’t know what Jin Xuan had done to make her so resistant to Marlow going to the capitol, so he nodded and said, “Yes, I really want to.”

“Maybe I can help you,” Lilith said. “I’ll try to talk to the Commander and get him to agree to let you represent our family to study in the capitol. What do you think?”

“Really…? Will Dad agree to that?” Wu Chenghe’s eyes lit up, feeling ninety percent sure of success with Lilith’s decision. “And what about Marlow? Didn’t he also want to go to Aston University?”

“Hmm, he did have that idea before, but recently, his grandfather talked to him and wanted to keep him in the Second Army. That way, he can start his reservist internship in his second year of college. That child has never been able to sit still. Aston University focuses too much on theoretical knowledge, which probably isn’t suitable for him,” Lilith said. “The Commander has his own ideas, but he can’t ignore the wishes of you two brothers. You’re growing up, and we parents have to consider your thoughts.”

“That’s… that’s great,” Wu Chenghe felt relieved. Lilith’s decision meant that at least thirty percent of the plan had succeeded. “Thank you, Madam. I’ll leave it to you to talk to Dad.”

“I will,” Lilith said with a smile. “But before that, don’t mention to him that we’ve met. I’ll handle everything. You know, the Commander is quite autocratic. If he feels that the three of us are ganging up on him, it’ll hurt his pride.”

“I understand, Madam,” Wu Chenghe nodded quickly. Lilith smiled and raised her glass of juice to him.

After Lilith left, Wu Chenghe called Jin Xuan. He wasn’t at Gabriel Military Harbor but at the Second Army. Wu Chenghe detailed Lilith’s visit to him. Jin Xuan said, “Very good. Half of the task is already successful. Leave the rest to her, and don’t mention this matter to Hannibal.”

“I understand,” Wu Chenghe guessed that Lilith might be planning to handle this matter alone without involving Hannibal. After a pause, he asked, “What are you doing at the Second Army? Aren’t you planning to return to Dunkirk soon?”

“The bill will be signed next Tuesday, and there are still some issues on General Lancer’s side. Hobart is coming over to talk to him, and I’m coming along,” Jin Xuan said. “I’ll be going back tomorrow.”

“Oh, did Lilith come to see me today because of what you’re doing over there?” Wu Chenghe hesitated to ask. Jin Xuan thought for a moment and said, “Do you remember Miss Lancer? She’s the one who played the trick on you at the last cocktail party. She’s also taking the joint exams this year. General Lancer wants to send her to study in the capitol, but she disagrees and has been making a scene. Hobart has put some pressure on her father, and she probably called the Commander’s wife.”

“Oh.”

“This is the result of multiple influences: General Lancer, Marlow, Miss Lancer, you, and the Commander… Your collective actions have influenced the Commander’s wife’s judgment. It wouldn’t work without any one of you,” Jin Xuan said quietly. “Miss Lancer knows she can’t convince Hannibal. I suspect she’s going to play a risky move. Don’t act rashly. If anything happens, just cooperate with her.”

“I understand.”

The next two days were spent in suspense for Wu Chenghe. Lilith made no further moves and didn’t contact him again until Tuesday morning, when she informed him to attend the bill signing ceremony at the military headquarters.

“I’ve prepared a pass for you. After the signing ceremony, my secretary will take you to the signing hall. Just follow my instructions then,” Lilith said.

“Okay, Madam,” Wu Chenghe knew she was about to make a big move. He solemnly agreed.

 

 

 

 

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